A media broadcast may be sent to a variety of electronic devices. For example, a broadcast may be viewed on a television, a computer, a mobile device, etc. The broadcast may also be sent live such as a sporting event coverage, with audio or video, be sent pre-recorded, or with a brief broadcast delay. During a broadcast, a broadcasting device may include data to be shown concurrently with the broadcast. For example, broadcasting devices may include advertisements in a non-intrusive area during the broadcast.
A broadcasting device may also show data that is based upon viewer feedback. Conventional broadcasting devices may include poll data. For example, during a broadcast for a sporting event, a question may be posed such as “Who should be the MVP for this game?” with a number of choices listed beneath. Viewers of the broadcast may cast a vote (e.g., phone, website, etc.) and after a predetermined period, the results of the poll may be displayed during the broadcast. However, for such viewer feedback data to be collected and shown during a broadcast, the viewer is often required to provide the data to the broadcasting device.
Recent advances in sensor technology and computer vision methods open the door to a new trend in human computer interaction (HCI) that is more natural and entertaining. A HCI device capable of translating human gestures, movements, voice, and facial expression into a set of commands that, in turn, can control a computer application, is highly attractive because it supports human behavior-like interactions. A user engagement and visualization, where user reality and virtual reality are mixed, allows for user intuitive and intelligent interaction with virtual content and for seamless visualization of real and virtual content in a video presentation.
Motion capture is the field of recording motion of a person, animal, or object and translating the captured data representing the movement into meta-data, specifically mathematical models of the captured object's movement and its appearance. Practical applications of motion capture technology have been used in the fields of movie making, animation, video games (both game animation/production and for playing the games), military applications, medicine, and sports and entertainment. Motion capture systems can be used to capture motion and positional data in two or three dimensions. “Motion capture” as used in this application includes the capture and use of objects' positional data and appearance models. The positional data and appearance models may be continuous-time estimates based on discrete data samples. The positional data and appearance models may be derived from sources such as one or more video image sequences of a scene, range image data, depth images, and acoustical data. Objects' appearance models may include 3D surface, pose, color, and texture models.
Motion capture systems typically involve a data capture device, a data translating and processing system, and a data output device. Data capture devices used with motion capture systems include cameras, infrared sensors, microphones, and other recorders and detectors. Mechanical, magnetic, and RF positioning motion capture systems may also be used to provide motion capture data. Data translating and processing systems are typically computer systems, including systems from sophisticated movie animation graphics computers to home computers and video game consoles. Data output devices include computer video monitors, televisions, movie screens, robotics, and other devices that have been controlled or manipulated using captured motion data.
Motion capture data is often mapped to a model. A model in computer-vision is a mathematical or graphical representation that characterizes the data. For example, a B-spline model may be used to represent a captured object's surface, a topological-graph may be used to represent a captured object's gesture (pose), or a color histogram may be used to represent the captured object's appearance. An object's model, as a characteristic representation, is used to detect, identify, and track an object's movements and gestures in the scene. Motion capture technology can be used to create “virtual reality” systems where users interact with digital (virtual) content, such as in simulators and other training environments, virtual walk-throughs, and virtual interaction between performers and digital content. Another application for motion capture technology is “augmented reality” where in a video presentation virtual elements (e.g. graphical signs or players) are placed relative to real elements (e.g. studio or sports arena) so their appearance is consistent with the camera movements.